Please explain Mark 9:43-49. Will any person go through eternity with one eye or one hand? R. F. G. The unquenchable fire and undying worm are explained in the Signs of May 3, article, “Wages of Sin.” As to the hand or the eye, the meaning, as we understand, is this: “Whatever trait of character we may have, whatever talent of mind or body, however dear to us, or however seemingly a necessity to success in this life, if it causes us to stumble, cast it off. Better, in this life, to be deprived of an eye, or a hand, or a foot, or anything else as dear as these members, rather than lose eternal life, where nothing shall be wanting, but all shall be perfect. There are young men to-day who have a hand to pitch right-and-left, up-and-down curves, slow and fast balls, so as to baffle all batters. The whole soul of the young man is swayed by the ability of that hand, a stumbling-block, skillful as it may be, in the path to eternal life. Now it would be better for him to actually, literally, cut off that hand rather than pitch his own soul to everlasting perdition on a curved ball. Our readers can supply similar instances concerning foot and eye. Things that are in themselves good become the worst of enemies, if they hold us back from the better and the best.